Refrigerated drink dispensing assembly



Aug. '20, 1957 H. H. LEWIS v REFRIGERATED DRINK DISPENSING ASSEMBLY 5 Sheets-Sheet l Filed May 28. 1956 INVENTOR.

HARRY H LEWIS ATTORNEY H. H. LEWIS REFRIGERATED DRINK DISPENSING ASSEMBLY.

Aug. 20, 1957 Filed May 28. 1956 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 mmvrox; HARRY H. LEWIS ATTOR-NEY H. H. LEWIS REFRIGERATED DRINK DISPENSING ASSEMBLY Filed May 28, 1956 I Aug. 20, 1957 s Shets-Sheet s Mim INVENTOR. HARRY H. LEWIS BY ATTORNEY United States Patent REFRIGERATED DRINK DISPENSING ASSEMBLY Harry H. Lewis, Portland, Oreg.

Application May 28, 1956, Serial No. 587,595 6 Claims. (Cl. 62-141) This invention relates in general to the dispensing of mixed drinks, and, especially, to the dispensing of drinks in which ice water or chilled carbonated water is used.

More specifically, the invention relates to means where by the iced water or chilled carbonated water can con veniently and quickly be delivered into a plurality of glasses satisfactorily and in quick succession so as to facilitate the rapid serving of mixed drinksby the bartender or other person engaged in such service.

In modern bars and similar places, where the dispensing of mixed drinks occurs in considerable volume, the use of a flexible tube and dispensing faucet connected with a source of carbonated water or water carbonating device, has become more general, since, with such arrangement, the dispensing faucet at the end of the connected flexible tube can be moved over a plurality of glasses in quick succession instead of necessitating the slower method of holding each individual glass under a stationary dispenser.

One of the objects of the present invention is to provide an improved container or housing for such a flexible tube, to. the end of which tube a dispensing faucet is attached, and from which'housing the flexible tube can be withdrawn when the dispensing faucet is to be .used and inwhich housing the tube can be stored in retracted position during the intervalswhen no dispensin g of the liquid from the faucet is required. i

A related object of the invention is to provide such a housing in which a pair of flexible tubes for a double dispensing faucet can be held in retracted positionand from. which the tubes can be easily and quickly withdrawn m ce Figure 3 is a transverse sectional elevation taken on line 33 of Figure 2;

Figure 4 is a sectional elevation taken on the line indicated at 4-4 in Figure 3, but drawn to a smaller scale, and illustrating a pair of flexible tubes attached to the dispensing faucet and placed in retracted position in the housing;

Figure 5 is a corresponding sectional elevation illustrating the same flexible tubes withdrawn from the housing for the dispensing of the liquid or liquids delivered from the faucet through either or both of the tubes;

together whenever either or both of the liquids, supplied through the respective tubes, areto be dispensed from the faucet.

Another object of the invention is to provide animproved container or housing for a flexible tube, or for a pair of flexible supply tubes, for a dispensing faucet which will keep the tube or tubes and their contents in refrigerated condition while the tubes are in retracted position, and which will provide efficient refrigerating means for the liquid or liquids delivered to the dispensing faucet.

An additional object of the invention is to provde an improved refrigerated housing for retractable drink dispensing apparatus which will require only a minimum amount of space, which can be conveniently installed at any ordinarily-equipped drink-dispensing bar, and with which either ice or mechanical refrigeration, or both, can be utilized in providing the necessary r'efrigerat p. for the liquids'dispensed. I,

The manner in' which, and the means by which these objects and other advantages are attained will be apparent from the following brief descriptioninwhichref- Figure 6 is a plan view, drawn on an enlarged scale, of a socket which may be used for one type of dispensing faucet, the view being taken on line 66 of Figure 5;

Figure 7 is an enlarged plan view, taken on the line indicated at 7- 7 in Figure 5, of the drip socket which may be placed on top of the housing for one type of dispensing faucet;

Figure 8 'is a section through the drip socket on line 8-8 of Figure'7; v

Figure 9 is' a fragmentary cross sectional elevation of a typical counter cabinet or jockey box for a dispensing bar counter showing the assembly in place in the jockey box, this section being taken on line 9-9 of Figure 10, but drawn to a larger scale;

Figure 10 is a side elevation of the same jockey box taken from the left of Figure 9, but drawn to a smaller scale, and also illustrating in dotted lines the dispensing faucet with the tubes in withdrawn position when a glass on the counter is to be filled;

Figure 11 is-a transverse sectional elevation, similar in part to Figure 3, but illustrating a modified form in which the assembly maybe made when designed for the dispensing of only one'refrigerated liquid, and thus with only one flexible tube in the housing;

Figure 12 is a sectional elevation on line 12-12 of Figure 11; and

Figure 13 is a transverse sectional elevation, similar in part to Figures 3 and 11, but illustrating a further modified form in which. the assembly may be made for a single flexible tube and dispensing faucet and with the utilization of mechanical refrigeration.

Referring first to Figures 1 to 3, inclusive, the reference character 10 indicates a housing including an upright rectangular refrigerated main wall 11, formed from a suitable metal of high heat conductivity. This wall 11 has an integral peripheral flange 12 on all four sides extending perpendicular to the vertical plane of the wall and is formed also with an integral bottom extension 13 ex.- tending in the same horizontal plane as the bottom portion of the peripheral flange 12 but in the opposite direction. A companion side wall 14, secured to the peripheral flange 12 by suitable means, such as screws, completes the housing closure. The spacing between the two parallel side walls 11 and 14 is slightly greater than the outside diameter of a flexible dispensing tube later described.

In the form of the device illustrated in Figures 1 to 5, inclusive, provision is made for a pair of such flexible tubes 15 and 16, both of which are of exactly the same diameter and the outer ends of which are connected to a double dispensing faucet indicated at 17. An opening 18 (Figures 4 and 5) at one end of the top of the housing provides free passageway for the pair of tubes, and an open saddle or socket 19, mounted on the housing 10 over the opening 18, provides a support or rest for the dispensing faucet 17 when the faucet is not in use and when the pair of flexible tubes 15 and 16 are in entirely retracted position within the housing.

The bottom extension 13 (Figures 1 and 3) supports a cooling-coil 20 through which the liquid for one of the flexible tube's- (for'example tube 15) passes. Assuming that the liquid in this instance is carbonated water, a flexible supply line 26A removably connects the intake end of the cooling coil 20 with a carbonating machine (not shown) or any other suitable source of carbonated water under pressure, and the flexible tube 15 is connected to the other end of the cooling coil 20 at the connection indicated at 29B.

A second cooling coil 21 for the liquid for the other flexible tube 16 is mounted on the housing main wall 11 (Figures 1 and 2). A flexible supply line 21A removably connects the intake end of this cooling coil 21 with the source of the second liquid under pressure, for example, plain water from a tap, or syrup from a pressurized syrup container, and the flexible tube 16 is connected to the.

other end of the cooling coil 21 at the connection 218. The flexible tubes 15 and 16 lead from the ends of their respective cooling coils 20 and 21 into the housing 10 through the inlet opening 22 near the top of the main wall 11.

When the device, in the form thus far described, is used, it is placed in a jockey box or similar ice bin, as illustrated at 23 in Figure 9, and crushed ice is placed on the bottom coil 20 on the bottom extension 13 and the ice is also placed against the side coil 21 and the main housing wall 11. Thus both coils 20 and 21 are refrigerated by the supply of crushed ice kept in the ice bin or jockey box. The ice cools the main wall 11 as well as the coil 21, thus providing refrigeration for the interior of the housing 10 and in this way keeps the two flexible tubes 15 and 16 under refrigeration while they remain in retracted position within the narrow housing. Furthermore, the bottom extension 13 also aids in this refrigeration by conducting heat away from the main wall 11 and into the melting Water under which the bottom extends.

The main wall 11 (see igures 4 and in addition to having an integral peripheral flange 12, is also preferably formed with integral curved guideways or partition walls 24 and 25 on the same inside face and located at the two bottom corners in the housing. These guideways 24 and 25 serve as additional means for guiding a flexible tube, or the pair of flexible tubes 15 and 16, into the proper fully retracted position illustrated in Figure 4. In addition, the main wall 11 has an integral curved inner partition 26, located below the inlet opening 22, which acts as a stop whenever the flexible tubes 15 and 16 are being withdrawn from the housing, .as shown in Figure 5, and thus serves as a means for preventing any possible injury to the flexible tubes in the event an inadvertent attempt is made to withdraw them too far or too rapidly from the housing.

In the drawings, the flexible dispensing tubes 15 and 16 are shown as connected at their outer ends to one type of a double dispensing faucet 17. This particular form of dispensing faucet is shown merely by way of illustration, and, since it forms no part of the present invention, need not be described. This dispensing faucet will be the subject of a separate application for patent. It is, of course, to be understood that other dispensing faucets may be employed in connection with the present invention, thus, either double or single dispensing faucets, depending upon whether one or two flexible liquid-supplying tubes are used. For example, the dispensing faucet constituting the carbonated drink mixer and dispenser described in U. Letters Patent No. 2,633,150 may be very satisfactorily employed as part of the present refrigerated drink dispensing assembly.

In order to accommodate a dispensing faucet of the general form indicated at 17, where the faucet rests on its side when it is not being used and when no dispensing is taking place, a specially shaped saddle or open socket 19 is mounted on the top of the housing above the outlet opening 18 (see Figures 1, 2 and 6).

As a further means of properly supporting the faucet 17 on its side when not in use and when the flexible tubes and 16 are in fully retracted position, and also to per- 2,sos,1 18 H mit any dripping from the mouth or nozzle of the faucet to be disposed of, a drip socket 27 is also mounted in the top of the housing 10 a short distance from the saddle or main faucet-supporting socket 19. This drip socket and auxiliary faucet support is shown most clearly in Figures 7 and 8. The interior of the socket is substantially the shape of a round bowl but is provided at the bottom with a spill trough 28 which extends over beyond I the outside face of the main wall 11, as shown at 28', and

' housing 10, as illustrated in Figures 1, 2, 3, 4 and 9, the

flexible tubes 15 and 16 will be maintained under refrigeration within the housing 10. Since the crushed ice in the bar counter cabinet or jockey box will cool the main wall 11 of the housing 10, as well as the two coils and 21 outside of the housing 10, and since the cooling of the main wall 11 will cause the narrow space within the housing 10 to be kept cold, the flexible tubes in the housing will be kept cold as long as they are in retracted position. Then, when dispensing takes place, the liquids will be delivered through the cold flexible tubes from the refrigerated coils and thus be dispensed at a desired low temperature. Also, since the dispensing ordinarily will take place quickly even though several glasses are filled, the flexible tubes will not be kept outside of the housing 10 long enough to cause any considerable rise in their temperature. The fact that the spacing in the interior of the housing 10 between the walls 11 and 14 is so narrow and is limited approximately to the outside diameter of one of the flexible tubes, results in the tubes receiving the maximum cooling which the wall 11 can impart. Although the wall 11 is formed of metal preferably of high heat conductivity, the other or opposite wall 14 of the housing is preferably formed of a material of low heat conductivity and thus, by acting as an insulating wall, aids further in the maintenance of a low temperature within the housing 10.

In Figures 9 and 10, the assembly is shown installed in a'well known type of ice bin or jockey box 23 located behind and below an ordinary bar counter 30. The crushed ice, indicated at 29, which is customarily maintained in such a jockey box," cools the coils 20 and 21 and the housing 10 (Figure 9) and may also be used to cool bottles or containers 31 placed in pockets of a top cover or frame of familiar design set on the jockey box.

Figure 10 also illustrates how a glass 32, or a row of glasses, on the bar counter 30 can be quickly and easily filled by lifting the dispensing faucet from the retracted full line position shown in this figure to the dispensing position of the faucet and flexible tubes indicated by the broken lines. Due to the size, shape and arrangement of the housing 10 there is no difliculty in quickly returning the flexible tubes to their proper retracted position as the dispensing faucet is set back on its saddle or socket in inactive position.

In Figures 1, 2, 3 and 9 the cooling coil 21 is shown positioned on the outside of the main wall 11 of the housing 10. Figures 11 and 12 illustrate a modified construction in which such cooling coil 33 is built into the main wall 34 of such a housing 35. In this modified construction the main wall 34 is formed of two companion castings 34A and 34B having registering channels so arranged as to combine in forming the coil 33. In Figures 11 and 12 it is assumed that a single faucet dispenser is to be used, and thus only one flexible tube 36 is being required. The supply of the single liquid to be dispensed is delivered from a suitable source (not shown) through a connecting tube 37 and the discharging end of the cool.- ing coil for the liquid is connected to the flexible tube 36 at the junction 38.

' Figure 13 illustrates a further modification in which the composite main wall 39 of the corresponding housing mans 40 is formed of three companion castings 39A, 39B and 390 which parts are so formed and arranged as to provide a cooling coil 41 for the liquid for the flexible dispensing tube 42 and also an outer coil 43 through which a fluid refrigerant is passed in a mechanical refrigerating system. In this modified construction, mechanical refrigeration takes the place of the crushed ice. In other respects the assembly is similar to and functions in the same general manner as the assembly first described.

In each case, however, the housing for the flexible dispensing tube or tubes has an inside dimension only slightly greater than the outside diameter of such a flexible dispensing tube which is contained within the housing when in fully retracted position; in each case any kinking of the flexible tube or tubes is prevented; and in each case also the main wall of the housing, by means of its conductivity, provides the desired cooling for the interior of the housing and for the flexible dispensing tube or tubes contained therein as a result of the contact of such main wall with the outer refrigerating medium.

I claim:

1. In a refrigerated liquid dispensing assembly, a dispensing faucet, a flexible tube connected to said faucet, a closed refrigerated housing for said tube, said housing having a main side wall, a companion wall, end walls, and top and bottom walls, the spacing between said main wall and said companion wall inside said housing being only slightly greater than the external diameter of said tube, said housing having an inlet opening for said tube, said housing having an outlet passageway in the top for said tube, a rest on said housing above said outlet passageway for supporting said faucet when said faucet is not in use, a cooling coil for the liquid dispensed through said flexible tube on said main wall, the intake end of said coil connected to a. source of liquid under pressure, the outlet end of said coil connected with said flexible tube, and refrigerating means in contact with said coil and said main wall, whereby the interior of said housing as well as said coil will be kept cold by said refrigerating means and said flexible tube will be kept cold in said housing when said faucet is not in use and is in resting position on said housing.

2. In a drink dispensing assembly of the character described, a dispensing faucet, a flexible tube connected to said faucet, a closed refrigerated housing for said tube, said housing consisting of a main vertical side wall, a companion wall parallel to said main wall, end walls, and top and bottom walls, the spacing between said main wall and said companion wall inside said housing being only slightly greater than the external diameter of said tube, said main wall formed of material having high heat conductivity, said main wall having an inlet opening into said housing for said tube, said housing having an outlet passageway in the top at one end for said tube, a socket on said housing surrounding said outlet passageway for supporting said faucet when said faucet is not in use, a cooling coil for the liquid dispensed through said flexible tube carried by said main wall, the intake end of said coil connected to a source of liquid under pressure, the outlet end of said coil connected with said flexible tube, and refrigerating means on said main wall, whereby the interior of said housing as well as said coil will be kept cold by said refrigerating means and said flexible tube will be kept cold in said housing when said faucet is not in use and is in resting position in said socket.

3. In a refrigerated drink dispensing assembly of the character described, a multiple dispensing faucet, a plurality of flexible tubes of identical size connected to said faucet, a closed refrigerated housing for said tubes, said housing consisting of a main vertical side wall, a companion wall parallel to said main wall, end walls, and top and bottom walls, the spacing between said main wall and said companion wall inside said housing being only slightly greater than the external diameter of said tubes, said main wall formed of material having high heat conductivity, said companion wall formed of material having low heat conductivity, said main wall having an inlet opening into said housing for said tubes, curved guideways in said housing near the bottom corners for said tubes, said housing having an outlet passageway in the top for said tubes, a socket on said housing above said outlet passageway for supporting said faucet when said faucet is not in use, and refrigerating means in contact with said main wall whereby the interior of said housing will be kept cold by said refrigerating means and said flexible tubes will be kept cold in said housing when said faucet is not in use and is in resting position in said socket.

4. In a refrigerated drink dispensing assembly of the character described, a double dispensing faucet, a pair of flexible tubes of identical size connected to said faucet, a closed refrigerated housing for said tubes, said housing having a main side wall, a companion wall parallel to said main wall, end walls, and top and bottom walls, the

, spacing between'said'main wall and said companion wall inside said housing being only slightly greater than the external diameter of said tubes, said housing having an inlet opening for said tubes, said housing having an outlet passageway in the top for said tubes, a rest on said housing for supporting said faucet when said faucet is not in use, a cooling coil for the liquid dispensed through one of said flexible tubes mounted outwardly on said main wall, the intake end of said coil connected to a source of liquid under pressure, the outlet end of said coil connected with said last mentioned flexible tube, a bottom plate extending outwardly from the bottom of said main wall in a substantially horizontal plane, a cooling coil mounted on said bottom plate and connected with the other of said flexible tubes, said latter mentioned coil connected to a source of liquid under pressure, and refrigerating means in contact with said coils and said main wall and bottom plate, whereby the interior of said housing as well as said coils will be kept cold by said refrigerating means and said flexible tubes will be kept cold in said housing when said faucet is not in use and is in resting position on said housing.

5. In a refrigerated drink dispensing assembly of the character described, a double dispensing faucet, a pair of flexible tubes of identical size connected to said faucet, a closed refrigerated housing for said tubes, said housing consisting of a main vertical side wall, a companion wall parallel to said main wall, end walls, and top and bottom walls, the spacing between said main wall and said companion wall inside said housing being only slightly greater than the external diameter of said tubes, said main wall formed of material having high heat conductivity, said main wall having an inlet opening into said housing for said tubes, said housing having an outlet passageway in the top at one end for said tubes, a saddle on said housing surrounding said outlet passageway for supporting said faucet when said faucet is not in use, a nozzle rest and drip trough for said faucet near said saddle, a cooling coil for the liquid dispensed through one of said flexible tubes on said main wall, the intake end of said coil connected to a source of liquid under pressure, the outlet end of said coil connected with said last mentioned flexible tube, a bottom plate extending outwardly from the bottom of said main wall in a substantially horizontal plane, a cooling coil mounted on said bottom plate and connected with the other of said flexible tubes, said latter mentioned coil connected to a source of liquid under pressure, and refrigerating means in contact with said coils and said main wall and bottom plate, whereby the interior of said housing as well as said coils will be kept cold by said refrigerating means and said flexible tubes will be kept cold in said housing when said faucet is not in use and is in resting position in said saddle.

6. A refrigerated drink dispensing assembly including a double dispensing faucet, a pair of flexible tubes of identical size connected to said faucet, a closed refrigerated housing for said tubes, said housing havinga main side wall, a companion wall, end walls, and top and bottom walls, the spacing between said main wall and said companion wall inside said housing being only slightly greater than the external diameter of said tubes, said main wall formed of material having high heat conductivity, said main wall having an inlet opening into said housing for said tubes, curved guideways in said housing near the bottom corners for said tubes, said housing having an outlet passageway in the top at one end for said tubes, a socket on said housing above said outlet passageway for supporting said faucet when said faucet is not in use, a curved stop in said housing below said inlet opening limiting the extent to which said tube can be Withdrawn through said outlet passageway when said dispensing faucet is lifted from said housing, a cooling coil for the liquid dispensed through one of said flexible tubes carried by said main wall, the intake end of said coil connected to a source of liquid under pressure, the outlet end of said coil connected with said last mentioned flexible tube,

a bottom plate extending outwardly from the bottom of said main" wall in a substantially horizontal plane, a cooling coil mounted on said bottom plate and connected with the other of said flexible tubes, said latter mentioned coil connected to a source of liquid under pressure, and refrigerating means in contact with said coilsand said main wall and bottom plate, whereby the interior of said housing as well as said coils will be kept cold by said refrigerating means and said flexible tubes will be kept cold in said housing when said faucet is not in use and is in resting position in said socket.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Entler Oct. 25, 1955. 

